Speaker of the House Nancy D’Alesandro Pelosi ’62 met with Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius ’70 in the U.S. Capitol on June 2 to discuss health care reform. Before their meeting they made brief remarks to the media, and both commented on their connection as “Trinity sisters.”

Secretary Sebelius and Speaker Pelosi at Trinity in 2003.

Pelosi noted that, “It is a personal privilege to welcome the Secretary to the Speaker’s office. Both of us went to Trinity College in Washington, D.C.; of course the Secretary went there long after I was there but she is a source of great pride to all of us. Her appointment as Secretary of HHS is a great one and I commend President Obama for this excellent appointment. As Governor of Kansas, Secretary Sebelius was a national figure who took the lead on so many difficult issues. And now as Secretary of HHS, she is here to help write a health care reform bill for our country — to make America healthier, to make our students have prevention, to make investments in science and technology. And to do so with fewer errors and better health care.”

“So for this, and other reasons,” concluded Pelosi, “and the entire gamut of issues that the Secretary of HHS has to deal with we absolutely could not be in better hands than with Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Welcome to the office.”

Sebelius responded enthusiastically: “Thank you Madam Speaker. I’m just delighted to not only have an opportunity to serve in this historic Administration but certainly, serving with my Trinity sister, Speaker Pelosi.”

Sebelius continued, “I was thrilled at her becoming speaker and now even more pleased that I have opportunity to work closely with her on health reform and food safety systems and other issues dealing with children and families — on a whole host of issues that affect the American people day in and day out and I know they are a passion of hers and certainly they are passions of mine, and passions of the President.”

“So we have a great opportunity,” Sebelius added, “to work together and as the Speaker said, one of the first priorities — certainly a top priority of the President is a health care bill that will transform the system, keeping the health care that the American people enjoy and like but opening up a system for more than 50 million Americans who don’t have access to quality, affordable care and we plan to lower costs that are crushing our businesses, crushing families and making health care out of reach for way too many Americans. So, I look forward to this challenge and look forward to working with the Speaker.”